landing gear question....

[0rion]

Last year I didn't run into this a single time and this year I've had it happen a few times and it's kinda got me puzzled.

A few times now when running the legs up or down if I have to go very far the motor just stops. If I let off the button and press it again it'll work fine for a while and then shut off again. I have a couple guess' as to what's going on but if someone knows exactly what it is I'm all ears. I'm guessing it's either a thermal protection feature for the motor because it seems to only happen if I'm running the gear for a longer time than usual. My other guess is perhaps a battery draw issue since I *think* it's only happened when on 12v. It's done it both going up and down. The last couple of times it's done it I'll give it 30 seconds or so to cool down in case it is a thermal protection deal. I'm just curious as to why it didn't do it last year.
One thing I noticed this last time that I'd never looked at before is the motor when the gears are running....the motor is moving around quite a bit. Is it supposed to do that or be rock solid?

[lock65]

Our KZ has the same problem. The overload breaker trips only when raising the trailer and only on 12 volt operation . The cure I use is I leave the trailer plugged in until I have hitched up .

[0rion]

markarivard wrote:

0rion wrote:
thanks guys......I've been doing a little reading the last few minutes since posting this and I think it could be a lack of maintenance. I've never done any maintenance to the legs or gears. Wasn't aware until just a few minutes ago that I had to. I'll get out there tomorrow and take care of that. Wonder if everything just needs lubed down. I do keep the inner tubes and foot pads lubed with silicone but wasn't aware I need to do anything else.


also....battery is new. I just replaced it this year. I will also try leaving it hooked to the truck running if it keeps doing it after I've done the maintenance.

I am having the same issue. What maintenance did you do? I have sprayed WD40 on all moving points I can see. But don't see any way to get to gears in legs or motor.

I put grease in them. There's a zirx fitting at the top of each leg. Hit those with grease & no issues since & i've had it out multiple times. Believe it was just getting dry in there & working the motor to hard.

[bpounds]

markarivard wrote:

0rion wrote:
thanks guys......I've been doing a little reading the last few minutes since posting this and I think it could be a lack of maintenance. I've never done any maintenance to the legs or gears. Wasn't aware until just a few minutes ago that I had to. I'll get out there tomorrow and take care of that. Wonder if everything just needs lubed down. I do keep the inner tubes and foot pads lubed with silicone but wasn't aware I need to do anything else.


also....battery is new. I just replaced it this year. I will also try leaving it hooked to the truck running if it keeps doing it after I've done the maintenance.

I am having the same issue. What maintenance did you do? I have sprayed WD40 on all moving points I can see. But don't see any way to get to gears in legs or motor.

I use a chain and cable lube in a spray can, and it has a straw for reaching difficult spots. Pop the caps off the top of the legs and you will see the bevel gears. Hit those, and then reach below them with the straw and spray the leadscrews. Run the legs up and down to distribute.

WD-40 isn't going to do much, except maybe to clean off gunk and whatever useful lube you had to begin with. Now you need to replace that lost lube.

[markarivard]

0rion wrote:
thanks guys......I've been doing a little reading the last few minutes since posting this and I think it could be a lack of maintenance. I've never done any maintenance to the legs or gears. Wasn't aware until just a few minutes ago that I had to. I'll get out there tomorrow and take care of that. Wonder if everything just needs lubed down. I do keep the inner tubes and foot pads lubed with silicone but wasn't aware I need to do anything else.


also....battery is new. I just replaced it this year. I will also try leaving it hooked to the truck running if it keeps doing it after I've done the maintenance.

I am having the same issue. What maintenance did you do? I have sprayed WD40 on all moving points I can see. But don't see any way to get to gears in legs or motor.

[0rion]

thanks....I went out and lubed everything over the last couple of days. The reason I say days is because I had a bad zirx fitting and had to replace it....it was metric so that took an extra trip to the hardware store to get the right fitting. Got it all lubed up now though. I'll look at that fuse connector next. I have a spare connector in my toolbox so I'll solder that in if it gives me anymore problems.

[BC__CANUCK]

On the landing gear problem. Had the same problem and it turned out to be the 30 amp fuse holder at the battery. The fuse was not blown but I changed the complete connector and the problem was solved. I guess it was making a poor connection on occasion.

[0rion]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

Norskeman wrote:
I have had this happen a few times. When unhitching if the trailer moves backward an inch or to I re-hitch.
Back in to re-connect the jaw on the hitch and put the legs up and put the load back on the truck. Then I put the legs down again and unhitch. Seems to work for me.

Wheel chocks......set before you unhitch......trailer doesn't move
Wheel chocks----first ON last OFF

that's how I do it. I put them in as soon as I get stopped and then pull them right before I drive away.

[Old-Biscuit]

Norskeman wrote:
I have had this happen a few times. When unhitching if the trailer moves backward an inch or to I re-hitch.
Back in to re-connect the jaw on the hitch and put the legs up and put the load back on the truck. Then I put the legs down again and unhitch. Seems to work for me.

Wheel chocks......set before you unhitch......trailer doesn't move
Wheel chocks----first ON last OFF

[Norskeman]

I have had this happen a few times. When unhitching if the trailer moves backward an inch or to I re-hitch.
Back in to re-connect the jaw on the hitch and put the legs up and put the load back on the truck. Then I put the legs down again and unhitch. Seems to work for me.

[MrVan]

We replaced ours with a similar to the OEM in-line fuse the same amperage and have not had a problem since.

[deleted-2]

Just another small note:

Since replacing the in-line fuse with a self resetting breaker my fuse blowing problems are gone.
Evidently the automotive breaker can handle the current spike when hitting the stops.
I bought the breaker at Oreilly's auto for $14.99

[arnko37]

I leave the driven legs down (not all the way) quite a bit(all the time) so the the drop legs don't have far to go. This results in a sturdier position and less use of the motor.

[T-10_Parabolic]

0rion wrote:
another sorta related question.....if I want to mark the furthest point that my legs can travel in how would I do that? The place I started staying at lately is pretty unlevel front to back so I have to start with the legs extended out quite a ways to get the truck out from under the trailer and then run them way in to get the nose level. I'd love to have a visual point there to look at so I knew where my stop was when traveling in.

If you have Atwood landing gear the driven legs have 15" travel and the drop legs will drop 15".. So what I did is run the driven legs down 8" and punch marked the driven leg for a reference point..T-10

[bpounds]

0rion wrote:
another sorta related question.....if I want to mark the furthest point that my legs can travel in how would I do that? The place I started staying at lately is pretty unlevel front to back so I have to start with the legs extended out quite a ways to get the truck out from under the trailer and then run them way in to get the nose level. I'd love to have a visual point there to look at so I knew where my stop was when traveling in.

I just ran mine to the end of travel - carefully so I didn't blow the fuse - then ran it out about 1", which is the point I want to be my visual limit. Then took a can of black spray paint and painted a line around the leg. Others use a felt tip pen, tape, sticker, etc.